By Summer. Diego's last summer at home before college. He knows it. I know it. We both move through it with a specific intention that doesn't require naming. We eat breakfast together more often than we have in years. He sits at the table with coffee and his phone and sometimes his legal pad, making notes about the fall. He's going to hit the ground running at his college program and he's preparing for it the way he prepares for everything: methodically, ahead of schedule, without fuss.
Eighth chile roasting. He helped me again, the way he has for years. This year he ran the propane setup himself. I watched from the cooler, standing back the way a coach stands back when a player has learned the whole thing and doesn't need the coaching anymore. He worked quickly, efficiently, with the deliberateness that is the signature of everything he does. Afterward, when we were bagging in the parking lot, he said, "I'm going to miss this." I asked what. He said, "This specific thing. The smell of September roasting." I said September would still happen wherever he was. He said I knew what he meant. I did.
Training camp starts in two weeks. Diego's last. I'm trying not to treat it differently than any other camp and I'm mostly succeeding. The players don't need to know it's different. The practices don't need to be different. What needs to be different is nothing visible — just an internal heightening of attention, the way you look at something more carefully when you know you're looking at it for the last time of this particular kind. I am doing that. I am doing it quietly.
Birria on Saturday. The long version. Because some meals need to take all day so the day has somewhere to go.
After a morning of smoke and green chile and Diego running the propane setup like he’d been doing it his whole life — because he has — I wanted dinner to carry that same energy: bold, warm, built on something familiar with just enough heat to remind you where you are. Pork Chops Ole has been in our rotation long enough that it barely needs a recipe anymore, but I write it down anyway, the way you write things down when you’re trying to hold onto the shape of a season. The chiles you roasted that morning go right into the pan, and suddenly the whole day is in the dish.
Pork Chops Ole
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in pork loin chops (about 3/4 inch thick)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup salsa (mild or medium)
- 1/2 cup roasted green chiles, chopped (fresh-roasted or canned)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Season the chops. Pat pork chops dry with paper towels. Mix together chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Rub the spice mixture evenly over both sides of each chop.
- Sear. Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops and sear 3–4 minutes per side until a deep golden-brown crust forms. Transfer chops to a plate.
- Build the sauce. Reduce heat to medium. Add salsa, roasted green chiles, and chicken broth to the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Braise. Return the pork chops to the skillet, nestling them into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 20–25 minutes until chops are cooked through and tender (internal temperature 145°F).
- Finish with cheese. Uncover the skillet and sprinkle shredded Monterey Jack over the chops. Cover for 2–3 minutes until cheese is melted.
- Serve. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with lime wedges. Spoon the pan sauce generously over each chop. Rice, warm tortillas, or roasted beans make a natural side.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 380 | Protein: 36g | Fat: 21g | Carbs: 9g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 680mg